Pleon has scored – not once but twice! The 2008 German PR Prize has been awarded to Europe's foremost PR and Public Affairs agency in two categories: in the Change Communication sector, Pleon’s campaign "Creating the Driving Force" for Bayer Schering Pharma came out on top, while its "Initiative IT Fitness" for Microsoft was the winning entry in the Issues and Reputation Management category.

The German Public Relations Association (DPRG) and the F.A.Z Institute honoured Pleon in two key areas of PR activity at this year's awards ceremony, held in Wiesbaden on September 19, 2008. Frank Behrendt, CEO of Pleon Germany, comments: "We are delighted to receive these accolades, which recognise the efforts of all our staff, who continue to come up with creative ideas and effective solutions day in and day out."

In the case of Bayer Schering Pharma, Pleon developed and implemented the campaign "Creating the Driving Force" in connection with the merger of Bayer and Schering. The objective was to communicate the new company's strategy and values to its 38,000-strong workforce in more than 100 countries. The campaign was a major success.  All over the world, employees embraced the campaign, bringing it to life by involving themselves in numerous events and communications tools. As early as May 2007, some 71 percent of personnel identified themselves with Bayer Schering Pharma.

Promoting computer skills
The second prize was awarded for the company’s "Initiative IT Fitness" campaign, developed for Microsoft Germany together with Fink & Fuchs Public Relations and WE DO communication. The purpose of the ongoing initiative is to improve IT skills among school pupils, trainees and company employees, reaching four million people between now and 2011. The free offerings available in this scheme include an online test, educational materials, and e-learning on such subjects as computer security, applications, programs and submitting online applications. Pleon responsibility for the overall strategic concept and for Public Affairs has seen considerable success.  For example, German Chancellor Angela Merkel launched not only the IT Fitness Test at the CeBIT 2007 trade show in Hanover but also debuted the competition "IT Fitness Sets the Standard" with Bill Gates in January 2008. Further information about this project is available at www.it-fitness.de.

Coveted award
The German PR Prize is regarded as the most prestigious award in the PR industry in German-speaking countries. The esteemed award is presented annually by an independent panel of experts for outstanding achievements in the field of PR.   Its initiators are the German Public Relations Association (DPRG) and the F.A.Z. Institute.